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Celebrating Ramadan | Britannica
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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div></div> </div> <article class="topic-content content mt-20"><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/51/177351-050-EBE89772/Prayer-beads-Quran-Arabic-Islam-text-words.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/51/177351-050-EBE89772/Prayer-beads-Quran-Arabic-Islam-text-words.jpg?w=600&q=60" alt="Prayer beads on Quran or Koran written in Arabic Islam's sacred and liturgical language. text, words, Ramadan" data-width="1600" data-height="1200" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">iStock/Thinkstock</cite></figcaption></figure><!--[BP1]--><p class="topic-paragraph">The Islamic holy month of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ramadan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Ramadan</a> is a time for Muslims all over the world to renew their focus on spiritual life and its practical application in daily life. It is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. According to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islam" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Islamic</a> tradition, it was on the 27th day of Ramadan that the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelations of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Quran" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Quran</a> as he meditated in a cavern outside <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mecca" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mecca</a>.</p><!--[P1]--><!--[MOD1]--><span class="MOD1"></span><!--[BP2]--><p class="topic-paragraph">Its official beginning varies locally because it depends upon the sighting of the crescent moon after the new moon. The exact date in any given locality is determined by local officials. Because the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islamic-calendar" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Muslim calendar</a> is a lunar calendar, Ramadan cycles through the Gregorian calendar, falling about 11 days earlier each year. For this reason it is not associated with any particular season.</p><!--[P2]--><!--[MOD2]--><span class="MOD2"></span><!--[BP3]--><p class="topic-paragraph">During Ramadan Muslims abstain from food and drink during daylight hours. This fast, called <em>sawm</em>, is one of the five <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pillars-of-Islam" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">pillars of Islam</a>. To get through a long day without food, Muslims will often wake up early to eat a meal called <em>suhur</em> before daybreak. During the day Muslims are encouraged to engage in charity and devote extra time and attention to spiritual activities, such as praying and reading the Quran. The fast is broken with an evening meal, called <em>iftar</em>, once the sun goes down. <em>Iftar</em> is often a family or community event; it is commonly eaten at long tables set up in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/mosque" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">mosques</a>, community centers, or outdoors. Because fasting during Ramadan is physically taxing, exemptions are made for young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with health conditions. </p><!--[P3]--><!--[MOD3]--><span class="MOD3"></span><span class="AM-END-OF-ARTICLE am-inline"></span></article><div class="related-info grid"><!--[RELATED-TOPICS]--><div class="col"><div class="learn-more"><h3>Learn More About This Topic</h3><ul class="list-unstyled"><li><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ramadan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">What other religious observations are part of Ramadan?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islamic-calendar" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Why does the date of Ramadan vary annually?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eid-al-Fitr" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">How is the end of Ramadan celebrated?</a></li></ul></div></div><div class="col-md-auto col-100"> <div class="related-feature mb-30"> <div class="box"> <a href="/quiz/islam" > <div class="feature-type">Quiz</div> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/09/80709-131-6B6E4FF0/bee-country-map.jpg?w=225&h=120" alt="indonesia bee country map" /> <strong>Islam</strong> <p>How much do you know about the Prophet Muhammad? How about holy cities? Test your knowledge of Islam...</p> </a> </div> </div> </div></div><!--[EXTERNAL-WEBSITES]--><div class="external-websites"><h3>Recommended from the web</h3><ul><li><a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="http://www.soundvision.com/ramadan" data-show-preview="true">Read more about Ramadan</a></li></ul></div> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="cm-rightrail d-none d-md-block ad-rail"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col"> <div class="md-loading hidden display-4 font-weight-normal"></div> <div class="text-center my-20 mb-100"> <button class="md-infinite-load-next btn btn-blue" data-value="next-page">Load More</button> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-da-320 hidden-xs"> </div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script> <!-- Ortto ebmwprod capture code --> <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Story","templateName":"SPOTLIGHT","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":11,"pageId":4259,"pageLength":null,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/story-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"B","adLeg":"B","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Story","pageSubtype":"SPOTLIGHT","articleTemplateType":null,"gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>